Sänger Zonvolt

Infobox animanga character
color = lightsteelblue
name = Sänger Zonvolt
ゼンガー・ゾンボルト
series = Super Robot Wars


caption = Sänger Zonvolt as he appears in Super Robot Wars Alpha 3
first =
last =
creator =
voiced by = Kenichi Ono
portrayed by =
nickname = Boss
The Sword That Smites/Cleaves Evil
alias =
age =
gender = Male
species = Human
born =
death =
nationality = German
class =
occupation =
title =
relatives =
divider = Military History
aux1 name = Affiliation
aux1 = Ancestors (Alpha Gaiden),
Londo Bell (Alpha Gaiden),
Alpha Numbers (Alpha 2/3),
Aggressors (Before OG 1/OGs),
ATX Team (OG 1/OGs),
Divine Crusaders (OG 1/OGs), Kurogane Crew (OG 1/2/OGs/OG Gaiden)
aux2 name = Rank
aux2 = Major
aux3 name = Units Piloted
aux3 = Thrudgelmir (Alpha Gaiden),
Grungust Type-3 (Alpha 2, OG 2/OGs),
Dygenguard (Alpha 2/3, OG 2/OGs/OG Gaiden),
Grungust Type-0 (OG 1/2/OGs)

Sänger Zonvolt (ゼンガー・ゾンボルト "zengā zonboruto") is a video game character in the Super Robot Wars series. In both the Alpha and timelines, he pilots the Dygenguard.

Sänger's name, which is likely derived from Eugen Sänger, an Austrian/German aeronautic engineer who designed the Silbervogel sub-orbital bomber jet, is often romanized by fans as "Zengar Zonbolt", among other variations, due to use of the umlaut character Ä, thus causing it to be pronounced "Senger", which, when rendered in katakana, becomes "ゼンガー/zengā".

Appearances

Sänger has appeared in the following games:

*Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden - Non-playable enemy character → Playable character
*Super Robot Wars Alpha 2 - Selectable protagonist with own story route
*Super Robot Wars Alpha 3 - Playable character
* - Playable character (In Kyosuke Nanbu's route only) → Non-playable enemy character → Playable character
* - Playable character
*Super Robot Wars Original Generations - Playable character (In Kyosuke Nanbu's route only) → Non-playable enemy character → Playable character
*Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden - Playable character

Theme Music

* "Aku Wo Tatsu Tsurugi" ("The Sword That Cleaves Evil"; retitled "A Sword to Smite Evil" in the North American localization of Original Generation 2) - Default theme in Alpha 2, OG 1, OG 2, and Original Generations, bonus track in Alpha 3.
*Ken Kon Itteki ("A Single Strike With Sword And Soul"; retitled "Samurai Sword" in the North American localization of Original Generation 2) - Used when piloting the Dygenguard, default theme in Alpha 3 and Original Generation Gaiden.

Personality And Traits

The self-styled "Sword That Smites Evil" ("Aku wo tatsu tsurugi" 悪を断つ剣 "Sword That Cleaves Evil" in Japanese), Sänger Zonvolt is a very honorable individual who fights for his own personal beliefs. Hardened by a long career as a soldier, Sänger has an amazing amount of wisdom on the battlefield and can sense the potential in allies and enemies alike. His demeanor and manners of speech are reminiscent of a samurai, and as such, Sänger and his personal machines are always depicted with a sword -- in the case of the latter, all of his machines have a gigantic, specially-made sword called the "Zankantou" (Colossal Blade in the English localization). Sänger also has a tendency to speak with "yojijukugo" -- four-kanji idioms -- a trait which his fellow swordsman-in-training, Brooklyn Luckfield, inherits in future games. Examples of such phrases are "ichiisenshin" (一意専心, "With all my heart and soul"), "ittou ryoudan" (一刀両断, "One blade that cuts in half"), and "jinba ittai" (人馬一体, "The rider and his horse are one"), though Sänger uses an alternate version (刃馬一体, "The blade and the horse are one"）.

He frequently phrases, "I am Sänger Zonvolt, the Sword That Smites Evil!" ("Ware wa Zengā Zonboruto, Aku wo tatsu tsurugi nari!" in the Japanese version)", which he recites before he attacks with his Colossal Blade, and "There is nothing my Colossal Blade cannot cut!" ("Waga Zankantou ni tatenu mono nashi!" in the Japanese version, meaning "There is nothing that can stand against my Zankantou!")" after he finishes the attack. In the Japanese version, any of his powerful attacks using the Colossal Blade will most likely be accompanied with a loud "CHESTO!!!" kiai (it is a rather common kiai used by martial artists and swordsmen alike).

History

Original Generation Timeline

Sänger Zonvolt began as a member of the Aggressors unit, an elite group of pilots formed by the Earth Federation Army with other notable members such as Elzam von Branstein, Guiliam Jeager, and Kai Kitamura. When the unit was disbanded, Sänger was relocated to the North American Langley Base and started to form the ATX Team. When the Divine Crusaders declared war on the Earth Federation, led by such convictions, Sänger chose to leave the ATX Team and join forces with the Divine Crusaders, fighting once more alongside his old friend, Elzam.

As a member of the faction, Sänger upholds the more honorable intentions of Bian Zoldark and seems to understand the point of Bian's rebellion: it is supposed to strengthen the forces of Earth and prepare them for an impending invasion by alien forces. This dedication to valor often causes Sänger to butt heads with another high-ranking soldier, Siebel Mistrel, who feels that the ends justify some truly devious means, such as trying to kill his enemies with poison gas or making the threat of gassing a space colony.

Both Sänger and Elzam join the Earth's forces in time for Operation SRW, the final offensive against the Aerogater invaders before going their separate ways. He and Elzam retreat into hiding, waiting for the opportunity to reveal themselves again when a new alien threat would arrive to terrorize the people of Earth. As expected, in Original Generation 2, both the mighty Inspectors and mysterious Einst appear. Sänger and Elzam, under the disguise of Rätsel Feinschmecker, immediately rush to join their old allies in the battle against the extraterrestrials as well as the Neo Divine Crusaders and Shadow-Mirror. Upon arriving at the Tesla Leicht Institute to free it from Inspector occupation, his Grungust Type-3 is torn apart by the Inspector Vigagi and his Galgau, but shortly after, he acquires Bian's last gift to him: the incredible Dynamic General Guardian, which he shortens to Dygenguard.

After learning the presence of Dr. Sophia Nate, Sänger participates in the assault on the Earth Cradle, which is defended by Shadow-Mirror officer Wodan Ymir, his combat rival. Sänger comes out of the duel as the victor, successfully completing his mission and destroying the core of Magus, freeing Sophia from its possession. After the war against the Shadow-Mirror, Einst and Inspectors is over, Sänger chooses to hide in the shadows once again along with Rätsel, Yuuki Jegnan, and Ricarla Borgnine aboard the Kurogane. In Original Generations, he is joined by the Super Robot Wars Reversal characters Raul Gureden, Raji Montoya, and Mizuho Saiki.

In and later Super Robot Wars Original Generation Gaiden, Sänger appears in his Dygenguard as a reinforcement for the Hagane during their assault on the Hellgate facility. Sänger is also quite active in fighting the Shura army. At one point, the Shura General Magnaz Ald ambushes him and breaks the Dygenguard's Colossal Blade, forcing Sänger to fight with the Dygenguard's original weaponry (which luckily he had personally requested to be re-activated once more), showing that he is not dependent on his Colossal Blade alone. Sänger would have the Colossal Blade repaired after the fight, though.

In the Shadow-Mirror universe, Sänger was killed in combat. Lemon Browning would have his body retrieved, and using data containing his personality, she created the 15th unit of the W-Series of androids, codenamed Wodan Ymir. Wodan would become Sänger's main combat rival in the events generated in Original Generation 2.

Alpha Timeline

In the Alpha timeline, Sänger first appears in Alpha Gaiden. Here, he has a deep sense of devotion to the main designer of the Earth Cradle facility, Sophia Nate, to the point where he is seemingly in love with her. This devotion plays a role in the dystopian alternate future in the story of Alpha Gaiden, where Sanger shows fanatical loyalty to Magus, the central supercomputer of the Earth Cradle that has fused with Sophia. Through the persuasion of Londo Bell's pilots, Sanger realizes that Magus is not the same Sophia Nate he swore to protect and chooses to fight against the Ancestors and free Sophia from Magus's control.

Continuing in Alpha 2, he would be defending the Earth Cradle once again (since the events of Alpha Gaiden would never have existed, as the Aegis Plan was successfully completed and implemented) from the attacks of Kukuru and her Magarga. The Dygenguard would be handed down to him and he would assist the Alpha Numbers in defeating the Earth Guardian Irui Ganeden and the invading Balmarians in Alpha 3.

Unlike in the Original Generation timeline, Sänger personally requested that the Dygenguard's original armament be shut down permanently, choosing to fight only using the Colossal Blade.

Trivia

*In Super Robot Wars Alpha 3, if Touma Kanou is not chosen as the main character, Sänger would become Baran Doban's combat rival for the duration of the game.

*Sanger gets referenced in in form of two characters: Haken Browning's color scheme matches Sanger: Silver hair and black clothing. While Kaguya Nanbu wields a sword called "Goushiki Zankantou" and styles herself as "The Sword That Cleaves Evil".